


Journey Into Harad

by PrinceLutin



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Language, Other - Freeform, Post-War of the Ring, Violence, non-canon stuff.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2010-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-22 14:14:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3731900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceLutin/pseuds/PrinceLutin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the War of the Ring, there is trouble in Harad. Gondor is pitted against the plot of an evil Haradan king. Faramir is confronted by a Haradan woman whose kingdom seeks the aid of Gondor. Now Faramir, Aragorn, and others are sucked into another adventure. Warning: violence, language, non-canon stuff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

**_DISCLAIMER:_ ** _I do not own the characters of LOTR. I do, however, own several of the characters, especially the ones from Harad. Most locations in Gondor belong to Tolkien Enterprises, and most of the Harad locations belong to MERP (courtesy of a map online.) This story is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be taken as canon, so if you are a purist, don't read this story._

_On the other hand, if you don't mind non-canonical stuff, enjoy the story!_

_Rated T for violence and language._

* * *

**A HISTORY OF HARAD**

Harad is the name of the immense lands located to the south of Gondor. In the eyes of the Gondorians, it was divided into Near Harad and Far Harad. However, it was much more complex: both parts were made up of several separate kingdoms. Many people lived in Harad. They were known as the Haradrim.

Harad had a varied geography. There was a great deal of coastline, and the climate was warm. Near Harad was made up of the lands to the immediate south of Gondor, and it was mostly arid, with a great desert in the inlands. Far Harad was more fertile, and much of it was covered in tropical forest. The southeastern part of Harad had a great, ancient mountain range known as the Yellow Mountains. There was also much wildlife, including the great _mûmakil_.

During the Second Age, the western coasts of Harad were conquered by the Númenóreans, and their influence was great. Many Númenóreans settled in Harad. As the centuries went by, the Númenórean lords oppressed the peoples of Harad and demanded wealth and tribute from them. The Númenóreans built many settlements. Among them was Umbar, where Ar-Pharazôn landed and took the Dark Lord Sauron to Númenor. Under Ar-Pharazôn's rule, the Men of Harad were enslaved and sacrificed in Númenor.

After the Downfall of Númenor in the year 3319, the Númenóreans in Harad survived, and became known as the Black Númenóreans. They had many great lords. Mightiest of the lords were Herumor and Fuinur, who controlled vast lands and allied themselves with Sauron. Yet the Black Númenóreans dwindled as their bloodlines mingled with those of the Haradrim.

The Third Age began, and many kingdoms in the Harad rose to power. For a long time they were free of Sauron's influence, but still at strife with the descendants of Anárion son of Elendil, who ruled a land called Gondor. The havens of Umbar changed hands several times over the course of the years, but ultimately fell into the hands of the Haradrim. Umbar became home to the dreaded Corsairs, a particularly warlike strain of Men.

Sauron eventually returned and corrupted many of the Haradrim. In 1944, along with other servants of Sauron, the Haradrim attacked Gondor, but was utterly defeated. Over the next eight centuries, Harad worried about its own affairs. Many kingdoms rose and fell, and there was strife all over Near Harad. Far Harad, however, remained untroubled.

Eventually, a Corsair of Umbar named Harjûk declared himself king of the areas along the River Harnen - from Umbar to Mordor – and named it Haruzan, though it was still known to Gondorians as Umbar. He ruled over many dominions of Near Harad, allying himself with Sauron and oppressing his people, and his descendants continued this. Starting from the year 2758, the Corsairs planned many attacks on Gondor in the hopes of Gondor acknowledging their claims. But Gondor resisted and defeated Umbar multiple times.

As the years went by, the Corsairs became more and more influenced by Sauron. Eventually, in the year 3005, the great king Hazajthôr took the throne. He was the most cruel and arrogant of all the rulers of Umbar, and detested Gondor. He conspired with Sauron, and was ever welcome in Mordor. With Hazajthôr's help, the Men of Near Harad amassed into a huge army fighting for the Dark Lord.

Hazajthôr's ambitions led him to seduce the men of Far Harad as well, and many joined the armies of Sauron. Now that most of Harad was under Sauron's evil influence, they began to attack Gondor. They were driven back by the Gondorians, among them Faramir, the son of the Steward of Gondor.

Sauron was defeated once and for all with the destruction of the One Ring. Many Haradrim deserted his army and surrendered. Aragorn, a descendant of the Kings of Gondor, was crowned King of the Reunited Kingdom. He made peace with the men of Harad – all except for Hazajthôr. He accepted the peace, bud he did so with his fingers crossed.

Hazajthôr began to cause trouble for the other kingdoms of Harad. He began attacking them, and slew many people in the process. He crossed the deserts into Far Harad and stirred up trouble. The people fought back, but to no avail. Now their eyes turn to outside of Harad for help.

* * *


	2. The Shipyard at Pelargir

_And now here our story begins..._

The day was August 28; two weeks after the Fellowship of the Ring had left. Aragorn, the King of the Reunited Kingdom, was about to arrive back in Minas Tirith. This seemed to be the beginning of a long peace in Gondor.

Faramir, the surviving son of the late Steward Denethor, was now the Prince of Ithilien. He had fallen in love with Éowyn, the sister of Éomer the new King of Rohan. At the funeral of King Thoden, it was announced that Faramir was engaged to Éowyn and they were to be married some time during the following year. No exact date had been set for the wedding, though, but it was expected to be quite grand.

It was a bright, sunny day during the late summer in the city of Pelargir along the River Anduin. Many people of the town were outside enjoying the fresh air. Birds were flying overhead. The shipyards were busy as well. People were stocking the ships with goods to transport along the river to other parts of Gondor.

Faramir was staying in Pelargir. He had brought Beregond with him. The two were going to inspect ships in the shipyard. But first, they were taking a walk through the streets of Pelargir. The city was quite busy, but it was still a good sight. The buildings that lined the streets, complete with the flowers and trees below them, made a perfect spectacle for viewers. The buildings' shadows kept Faramir and Beregond cool from the sun's heat.

"It's quite lovely out," said Faramir. "I haven't been here in a long time. In fact, I haven't enjoyed the real outdoors since before the war."

"Yes, my lord," said Beregond. "Nor have I enjoyed it."

Faramir looked at the colorful flowers that were planted on the sides of the road. "It's too bad that I couldn't bring Éowyn here with us," he said. "She would have loved to see this."

"I agree," said Beregond. "But we should be getting to the shipyard. Those ships are not going to inspect themselves! We should be there soon, but there's no time to be dawdling. Right, my lord?" Faramir nodded.

The two walked for a few minutes, and then Faramir noticed the shipyard. "Look!" he said. "There's the shipyard. Beregond, let's approach it and look at the great ships."

"Yes, Faramir," said Beregond.

Faramir and Beregond walked towards the shipyard. There were many ships of Gondor anchored there, ranging from small boats to great galleons that were used to cross the seas. These great ships had often traveled to the vast southern lands where the stars were strange. Aragorn had been on such a ship on a journey to the southern Harad.

At last the two reached the shipyard. This shipyard was known as Falastir. The captain of the shipyard, a fat, bald man in dirty, ragged clothing, saw Faramir and Beregond. He ran up to them and greeted them by wildly shaking their hands - much to Beregond's displeasure. "Hello, there!" He said. "It's me, Halgorm. I am glad to see you. These here ships need the approval of Your Excellency..." Here faramir blushed.

"Please," said Faramir to the man, "call me Faramir. I'm not even close to the King when it comes to grandeur."

"We will do so," said Beregond. "The King has been planning this for a few weeks now."

"Okay...Faramir..." said Halgorm, feeling snubbed. "You can get to the inspection."

Faramir and Beregond got to the inspection. They went inside each ship and looked through the insides. It was quite boring for both Faramir and Beregond, but it did help pass the time. After all of the ships were inspected, Faramir felt tired. As soon as he had walked off of the last ship, Faramir walked up to a wooden pole, sat down against it, and fell asleep. He lust sat there for a while...until...

"Wake up!" said a voice. The voice turned out to be Halgorm's. "Thank you for inspecting the shipyard!"

Faramir got up and walked besides Beregond, who was standing to Halgorm's right. "As a token of my thanks, I will give you some money!" Halgorm gave Faramir and Beregond some gold pennies, silver pennies, and a few crystals. "Get something nice of yours," he said. This made Faramir look at Halgorm in a weird way.

"I know you already have a lot of money," Halgorm added, "being a prince. But I figured that you'd need some."

"I don't understand you," said Faramir, "but thanks. Nice to be seeing you." Halgorm left the shipyard and went into the wharf nearby. Faramir and Beregond just looked at each other blankly. Halgorm was definitely a weird man.

"Is it me," said Beregond, "or does Halgorm have something wrong with him?"

"Give him a break," said Faramir. "Halgorm is an old man. You should just be glad that he made it through the war. A lot of people did not make it. Just think what could have happened to your sons?" This made Beregond almost worried for a minute, but he did realize that Faramir was just pointing out something to him.

"I understand, Faramir," he said. "I should have been more considerate of Halgorm."

Faramir and Beregond made their way out of the shipyard and back onto the streets of Pelargir. They decided to take a walk to a tavern called The Revenge Star. It was a tavern where many travelers and rangers gathered.

Eventually, Faramir and Beregond arrived in the tavern. Since the tavenmaster recognized them, Faramir and Beregond were seated at a table of honor. They were given ale to drink and roasted chicken to eat.

Faramir drank his glass of ale. "Refreshing," he said.

"Indeed," said Beregond. "Things have been going smoothly lately. When did Aragorn say that he was going to be back?"

"August 29," said Faramir. "That is tomorrow. He said that he was going to travel with the halflings for a while before bidding them farewell."

"We should not be troubled for any amount of time," said Beregond. "There is peace in Gondor, and no damned armies of Sauron can change that!"

"Beregond, don't get overly zealous," said Faramir. "An army of Orcs or Haradrim could easily overtake us if we don't remain on guard. You have shown great courage during the war, but courage shall never turn into overconfidence. Remember that."

Now Beregond felt snubbed, for he did not like being rebuked by someone a full ten years younger than him. But he responded to Faramir. "My wife Galedhel has been worried about an invasion," he said, "and I am willing to defend Gondor from any foe. I have heard of a particularly wicked king of the Haradrim...."

"Hazajthôr?" asked Faramir. "The King of the Corsairs? That must be who you are referring to. He is supposedly greatly detested even by other Haradrim. And yet Hazajthôr has a tight influence over Harad. He had helped Sauron attack Osgiliath, and I had briefly mentioned him to Frodo and Sam back in Ithilien. Hazajthôr is not a man to be messed with."

"At least he's not here."

"Yes. But he might be planning an attack as we speak."

Faramir and Beregond finished their meal and left the tavern. They decided to walk through the streets, which were now lit by a late afternoon sun, and go back to the shipyard.


	3. Journey Through Ithilien

Now it was evening. Faramir and Beregond walked through the sunset streets.

"It's darkening out," said Faramir.

"I see," said Beregond. "It might be better to go back to the palace." He was referring to the palace at Pelargir which was now the property of the King, but Faramir was always welcome in it.

"Nah," said Faramir. "It's not _that_ dark."

Faramir and Beregond went back to the shipyard. They saw that Halgorm was not there. The looked around the wharf, where there was a huge brick warehouse with few windows, and Halgorm was also not there. He must have gone home. The pair went inside the building on the wharf. It was a large room with shelves of goods. Faramir and Beregond looked around. There was no sign of anyone in there.

"Well," said Faramir, "Halgorm's not here. He must have gone home."

"Good," said Beregond. "So what are we doing here?"

"I don't know," said Faramir. "I don't know. Let's go back to the palace and get ready to go back to Minas Tirith tomorrow."

And so they did. Faramir and Beregond went back to the palace and slept there. The next morning, the two packed their stuff into a wagon. This was the one that Faramir used to get there, so he wouldn't be accused of stealing it. They harnessed the horses and got in the wagon. Faramir sat in the driver's seat. This displeased Beregond, but he knew that Faramir was better at handling a wagon than him. Then they rode off. But first they had to get through the streets of Pelargir, where there was heavy traffic during the morning hours.

Faramir and Beregond rode easily at first, but they eventually got caught in heavy traffic - at the northeastern corner of Pelargir, where the traffic was particularly heavy. This was due to the caravans and traveling merchants that were at the city limits. Faramir then saw that the northeast road was full of travelers. "Oh well," he said. "The road is backed up, Beregond. Let's take the road through South Ithilien."

There was another road (a rather short one) to the east of Pelargir that went on to the River Anduin. Travelers could cross the River Anduin and go into Ithilien from there, where they would eventually encounter the Road of Ithilien. The other road to the northeast was the South Road, which was the main road from Pelargir to Minas Tirith. It was a road on a grassland with occasional patches of wood. These roads did not meet, but they both led to Minas Tirith.

Faramir and Beregond took the southeast road for a while, and rode on it until they reached a ferry on the River Anduin, where they crossed the river on a ship that could fit the wagon inside. They landed on the east side and rode on. Eventually, they reached a patch of hills that were in the center of South Ithilien. Faramir and Beregond saw that there was no one there, so they decided to camp there.

The two set up a tent that was packed in the wagon. They went inside it and talked for a while.

"So here we are in the center of South Ithilien," said Faramir. "Go south of here, and you've got the Crossings of Poros. Cross there, and you're in Corsair territory. But we're not going to even think about going there."

"Agreed," said Beregond. "The Corsairs of Umbar would recognize us, and try to attack."

"I've heard a lot about Harad, though," said Faramir. "Near Harad is dangerous to us at this time, but I'm talking about Far Harad. I've heard that there's a lot of unusual stuff down there. The stars are different, and it's very hot. They grow a lot of tropical fruit down there. And there are great jungles in many places. In fact, Mirkwood to the north of Rohan is said to be not even one-tenth the size of the greatest of these jungles."

All of a sudden, Beregond smelled something suspicious in the air. "What is that smell?" he asked.

"I have an idea of it," said Faramir. "It smells like fire. Someone else has made a campsite here."

"Someone else?" asked Beregond. "Who else could be here? I thought that Ithilien was abandoned. Maybe it's one of Sauron's agents."

"Let's investigate," said Faramir. "But be careful! The person could be hostile. You don't know who's going to be there!"

"Fine," said Beregond. "Let us look."

The two set out from their campsite and went over the hills. There weren't many animals outside, and the trees made the shadows long and dark. Faramir and Beregond got ever closer to the fire. Eventually, they reached a pool of water with wooden rafts around it.

"Let's cross it," said Beregond. "That is the shortest way to get to the fire."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Faramir. "Maybe it would be safer to go up the hill."

"No," said Beregond. "There's a path that leads right into those woods ahead. That must be the source of the fire. Let's go!"

Faramir and Beregond jumped across the rafts carefully as to not get wet. One by one, they jumped on each raft. Then, they reached the end. This was wear the woods were.

"We made it!" said Faramir. "Let's go take a look at this person. But don't make a sound. The person could see us!"

Faramir snuck behind a wide tree. Beregond followed him. The two quickly tiptoed past each tree. No one seemed to notice them.

After a few minutes, Faramir and Beregond found the source of the fire. There was an open ring, with a fire in the center. The tent was scarlet-colored and heavily decorated. A shadowy figure was walking along there.

"I've never seen a tent like that," whispered Beregond. "I wonder who that person is? He must be another traveler." Beregond began moving.

"No!" Faramir whispered crassly.

Beregond began walking towards the tent. He walked around it, but when he went to the back of the tent, he heard a call.

"STOP!" yelled the person. "Who dares to trespass on my campsite?" Beregond was intimidated and expecting something dangerous, so he thought up of something to say quickly.

"We're with the King," he said. "We were just investigating for suspicious activity!" The person said nothing. Beregond looked at this person. His mantle was dark red with gold on it. It was topped with a hood. Two mysterious eyes peeked out of the person's mantle. Beregond recognized by the patterns that this person was from somewhere in Harad.

_Oh, shit!_ thought Beregond. _It's a Haradan man! We really shouldn't have done this!_

Faramir walked out from behind. "We mean no harm, sir."

"Sir?" asked the person, whose tone was beginning to change. "I'm no sir. I don't have any intent to kill anyone. Especially after what happened to me."

"Oh my," said Faramir. "This person is a woman! What's she doing here?"

"That's right," said the person. She pulled off her mantle and revealed her clothing. She was wearing a long, dark dress, a shawl, and armored shoes. She had a scimitar on her belt. Her skin was very dark. "And what are _you_ doing here? Who are you?"

"I'm Faramir," said Faramir. "And this is Beregond. We are on our way back to Minas Tirith. What are you doing here?"

"I am on a journey to Gondor," she said. "I am all the way from the town of Jurûm in the kingdom of Felaya."

Faramir gasped. "Felaya?" he said. "That is far away! All the way where Near and Far Harad meet! How did you get here?"

"It is a long story," said the woman. "Let me explain it to you how it all started." The three sat down in a fire as the woman began to tell her story.


	4. Uruzephel Nozjan

"I will tell you my story now," said the woman.

"Go on," said Faramir. "Surely your story will be interesting, for I am a great lover of stories. I have been since I was a child..."

"I will go on," said the woman. The woman moved herself to make her seating more comfortable and began her story.

"My name," she said, "is Uruzephel Nozjan. I was born in the year 2643 (2996 in your reckoning). I am the elder daughter of Jolozîr. a merchant of Jurûm, and his wife Yagmîth. I have a sister, Azrumis, who is three years younger than me."

"My father had been a great sailor in his youth, reaching as far north as western Gondor. He was on good terms with everyone, even the Gondorians. He later settled down back in Felaya and married my mother. However, when I was not yet eleven, my father took sick and died, him being only forty-five years old. My family was devastated at the loss of Jolozîr, and my mother has not married again. She could not find anyone as great as my father.

"Since my mother refused to remarry, my father's older brother, Juruvik, took residence in my home. Then my world came crashing down. He was a troublemaker from the start, and caused a lot of chaos in my family. Juruvik would take no wife and father no child, likely due to his selfishness. He was a rabid supporter of the harsh rulers that allied themselves with Zigurûn, whom you probably knew by the name Sauron. My uncle saw that I was growing older, and he knew that I disliked him. So he eventually persuaded my mother to find me a husband. This came in the form of a man named Khadjûran. I was sure that I would hate my future husband, especially after discovering that he was fourteen years my senior. We were married soon after I turned sixteen."

"Sixteen?" asked Faramir. "You were married when you were that age? I'm thirty-six, and I'm still not married, though I will be next year. Didn't it feel awful for you?"

"I suppose," said Uruzephel. "Then again, it's not that unusual for girls my age to be getting married - at least where I live. Most girls marry later than that, but my uncle wanted me to get out of his house as soon as possible. Nevertheless, Khadjûran proved himself to be a capable husband. He took good care of me, and he got along well with everyone in my family save my uncle. I had been adventurous as a girl, and my husband encouraged that in me. I often rode horses, went hunting, and even fought in skirmishes against the Orcs."

"I thought the Haradrim and the Orcs were allies?" thought Beregond. "Weren't they fighting together at the Pelennor Fields?"

"Yes. Now you would think that the Orcs were our friends, but that was not so. Orcs caused trouble for all Men, be they foes of the Dark Lord or allies."

"Continue with your story," said Faramir.

Uruzephel decided to continue. "The adventures were great for a while," she said, "but sooner or later, they would end. Within two years of my marriage, I was pregnant. I gave birth to a son, Najokhad, after that. And when I was married four years, I gave birth to another child. This one was a daughter, and I named her Zimrabêth. And yet it was easy for me...until one day."

"At the beginning of the year 2665, Khadjûran was called to service by the King. He was asked to sail up to Gondor in an attack on Osgiliath. He sailed up all the way to the ruined city, and spent time in Minas Morgul. While he was there, he was put under the command of a harsh general. The general ordered his troops to march westward to Osgiliath, where they camped. But then the Gondorians attacked. Khadjûran fought bravely, but to no avail. He died during the middle of the year, in a skirmish with the Gondorians. Word got out to me that he had died, so I decided to come up here in 2666."

Faramir and Beregond grew uneasy for a moment. They had remembered the fact that both of them had been present at that battle. They had fought against many Haradrim at the battle, and were nervous, for they thought that they might have been responsible for the untimely death of Khadjûran. They feared that Uruzephel would be furious. 

"I was a commander in the battle," said Faramir, "along with my brother Boromir. We were fighting the Orcs and Haradrim. We were in Osgiliath. Beregond was present as well." 

"Where was your husband at the time of the battle?" asked Beregond. 

"He was not in Osgiliath proper," said Uruzephel. "Instead, he was at a wooded stream to the east." 

"So we did not see him," said Faramir. "I know the stream that you're talking about." 

"Anyway," said Uruzephel, "I sailed up here at the very beginning of 2666. To do this, I disguised myself as a man. When I arrived in Pelargir, I fought with the Corsairs there. My original intent was to avenge the death of Khadjûran. But then I realized that I would be unable to recover his body. And to make matters worse, I sighted mysterious beings that seemed to be ghosts. I was so frightened! After the ghosts were gone, I fled Pelargir and was given refuge in Umbar. There I have remained, unable to return to my children at home." 


End file.
